Watching
by Tie-dyed Trickster
Summary: Jeice is used to being watched - with fear, with respect, with admiration, but Raditz's eyes hold something different, and intriguing enough to start watching back...


Watching

There isn't really a time where Jeice doesn't notice the saiyan. It's hard not to, considering the man's seven feet tall with hair that manages to outdo even Jeice's own flamboyant mop. So yeah, Jeice notices him, but it's in a general sort of way, at least at first. He begins to pay attention because of the saiyan's expression. Jeice is used to certain reactions from people – fear or flattery by people afraid of his rank and power, admiration for his abilities, wrinkled noses for his looks (the Brench aren't considered the most… attractive race by most species – some find them attractive but, on the whole, it's Burter who tends to get flirted with the most in the squad). The saiyan's expression doesn't match any of these, though. It's appraising, with a bit of a smirk, like he's picturing what it might be like to go a few rounds with Jeice in one of the sparring rings on the station. Which is just- Jeice doesn't know whether to be amused or insulted by the presumption of it, so he chooses simply ignores the man, and continues about his business. And at first he does.

Except that the saiyan keeps being there – in hallways, the meal rooms, the spectators areas of the gyms or in adjacent rings to train with other soldiers or saibamen, and he keeps watching Jeice with those dark eyes and that faint smirk.

So Jeice asks around a little, by which he means he asks Guldo, who is the biggest gossip in the galaxy. And for two bars of mid-grade chocolate he learns that the saiyan is called Raditz, that though the man's power level is a joke, he's actually pretty popular amongst the general population, unlike his bastard of a prince, friendly and outgoing, good sense of humour, worth taking up on any offers of bedroom activities even if you do have to turn the lights out.

…even after so long off-planet, it's still a little weird to Jeice just how different the standards of beauty are in the wider galaxy, because weak he may be but ugly Raditz is most definitely not. At least, not by Brench standards. Jeice still isn't sure how to react to the man, though, and it's driving him a little nuts, especially since this Raditz guy is just some third-class warrior from an almost-extinct race, and finally he decides to do something about it.

"Oi, you, space ape. Yeh, you – third ring in gym six, four hundred hours. Don't be late."

Raditz lasts three blows, which is three more than Jeice expected, and when he drags himself to his feet to head medical afterwards his expression is the same. Jeice doesn't understand it. The man's had a personal taste of his strength now, he shouldn't still be looking at Jeice like that, he should be looking at him like Vegeta and Nappa do, with grudging respect and half-hidden fear. He should be, but he isn't, and it makes no sense, so Jeice begins to watch Raditz back, in an attempt to understand. And he sees Guldo's gossip confirmed – friendly, well-liked, an easy laugh and a hearty appetite, and a reputation for luck. Which, Jeice supposes, isn't too hard to understand. The man is one of the only three to survive his planet's destruction after all, and he's lasted over a decade in a job with an exceptionally high mortality rate while at the same time having a power level lower than the majority of the rank and file. Jeice doesn't get it.

He doesn't get it until he brushes past the man in the hall – well, bumps is more accurate - one day while heading to debriefing with Burter and, a moment later, his tall friend looks down at him, blinks, and grins.

"Hey Jeice, nice flora."

"Eh?"

Burter grins, pointing at Jeice's hair, and when Jeice touches it he comes back with a flower – a Duvarian lily. They're not that hard to get ahold of and are popular among certain races because of their vibrant hues, and among others for their rich flavour. This one is a brilliant scarlet, just a touch bluer than Jeice's own skin. Jeice stares at it and Burter laughs. "Where th' bleedin' 'ell did this come from?"

"That saiyan must have stuck it on you," Burter says, "Want me to wait while you go punch him?"

"Nah, we'd be late and Captin'd be pissed," Jeice brushes the offer aside, "I'll deal with him later."

And he does – he tracks Raditz down to where the saiyan is training alone and shoves the lily in his face. "And what the 'ell is this, then?"

Raditz looks at the blossom, looks at Jeice, and raises an eyebrow. "Is that a trick question? It's a flower."

Jeice scowls, "Don't play at being a galah with me, saiyan, why'd you stick it in my hair?!"

Raditz tilts his head to the side, "Well, you're Brench, aren't you?"

"I- yeh, of course." There's no 'of course' about it, really – Jeice is a mutant after all, and half the time people assume he's a Benton, even if his accent is all wrong. It does put a new spin on the situation, though, one that hadn't occurred to Jeice. His home planet is very lush and vibrant, lots of beautiful flora, so it's not that surprising that plants have a large place in traditional Brench culture, they're used for all sorts of things, and context is _utterly_ key. And, apparently well aware of this, Raditz had slipped a flower in his hair. Jeice is always red, of course, but now he's feeling a bit redder than usual as the implications sink in. Flowers are used for softer emotions, the brightness of the colour indicating the strength of the emotion. Mostly placing flowers in someone's hair is a way of showing affection, unless they're similar the recipient's skin tone – then it's flirting.

…the lily in his hand is looking a lot more vivid all of a sudden. No one's ever given him flowers before, not like this. He's had his share of flings before, but no one's taken the time to flirt with him by following the patterns of his native culture. And- it strikes him that he heard something somewhere, about saiyans, that they tended to give each other food in this sort of situation? And Duvarian lilies are edible for a good 95% of the galaxy. This obviously isn't just some casual fancy, the crazy bastard's put _effort_ into this. It's- it's kind of really flattering.

Jeice twirls the flower absently in his fingers as this runs through his head, Raditz watching him quietly all the while, and finally, brow a little wrinkled, Jeice asks, "Why?"

Raditz gives a faint grin, "Well, to start with and to use your terminology, I think you're 'bleedin' bonzer.'"

Jeice blinks, then laughs, "Mate, yer accent is _terrible_."

Raditz shrugs, "I'm told I'm a fast study – teach me to say it right?"

"Eh, why not," Jeice hops onto a nearby railing, sticking the flower in his hair as he does so, "Could be fun."

OoOoOoOoO

 _Raditz is always gonna be a smooth operator and a considerate lover in my head, that's just how I role. Also, I see some people portray Jeice as very masculine and some portray him as very feminine. I sorta see him as a mix of both, equally comfortable drinking a beer in a dive somewhere or wandering around with flowers in his hair._

 _Where this fic came from: "You go get them, I'll hold your flower, babe."_

Duvarian – from 'duvet'  
Galah – an Australian bird, also Australian slang term for an idiot or a fool  
Benton – from 'bento,' in keeping with the food puns  
Bonzer – more Australian slang, meaning great, terrific, excellent, etc.


End file.
